Karela Masala
Karela Masala - Indian bitter gourd and onion curry made with basic spices, peanuts, sesame seeds and hint of jaggery, perfectly flavored karela masala!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 10 Karela
- 1 cup Sliced Onions
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tsp Chopped Thai Green Chilis
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Dhana Jiru Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- ¼ cup Ground Peanuts
- 1 tbsp While Sesame Seeds
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 pinch Asafetida
- 1 tbsp Jaggery optional
- 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
Prepare Karela
- Wash and clean karela. Scrap the rough skin off and remove the seeds.
- Cut them in slices. Pressure cook it with ¼ cup of water and ¼ tsp of salt. Do only 1 whistle. As soon as all the pressure is release naturally, drain the boiled karela in a strainer and keep it aside.
Make Karela Masala
- Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a big wide pan. Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and wait for it to pop.
- Once they start popping, add ping of asafetida and sliced onions along with ¼ tsp of salt.
- Saute onions until they become translucent and somewhat brown.
- Add ginger, garlic and chopped thai green chilis. Saute for couple of minutes.
- Add boiled and drained karela slices along with all other spices, 1 tsp of salt, ground peanut and sesame seeds.
- Mix well without breaking the karela. If it seems too dry, add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix well.
- Cover it well and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring few times in between. The karela are almost cooked from boiling them so it should not take too long for them to cook completely.
- Once cooked, add jaggery and mix well. Cook for couple more minutes.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve it hot with phulka rotis, dal and rice!
